I Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Monday, July 14, 2008

As for you....

Paul starts off Titus 2 telling Titus what he needs to focus on as he leads the Cretan churches.

1But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

Teach sound doctrine. This applies to all as Paul states it before he goes into what to teach the various ages of men and women.

Older men are to be:

sober-minded

dignified

self-controlled

sound in faith

sound in love

sound in steadfastness

Older women

reverent in behaviour

not slanderers,

not slaves to much wine

teach what is good

and so train young women to .....

Young Women are to be trained to

to love their husbands and children,

to be self-controlled,

pure,

working at home,

kind and submissive to their own husbands, so that God's word is not reviled.

Younger men:

self-controlled

Titus is to

show himself to be model of good works

his teaching is to show integrity, dignity, 8and sound speech that cannot be condemned

So that our opponents have nothing evil to say about us and therefore are put to shame

Slaves are to

be submissive to their masters

well-pleasing

not argumentative

not pilfering

showing all good faith

SO THAT in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour

Wow...what a weighty section isn't it.

Do you see how over and over again...if we act in a certain way we are showing who God is in a better light? That we are not giving ammunition to the enemy?

Have to admit that the older women train younger women to love their hubbies and children just kinda sat with me.It's HARD work being married. To consider the needs of others and not just yourself. It's nice to have role models on how to do so well.I think of how easy it is for folks to get divorced...and then I read this passage and it's like... you know what? If more women took the time to teach other women how to just love their hubbies, not so much divorce would happen.

But I can't sit here and ponder this longer I must get moving....but LOTS of food for thought here. I will probably continue this when I return.